Jet propulsion power plant



c. P. HEiNTZE 2,383,385

JET PROPULSION POWER PLANT Filed Nov. 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Gen-l Paul Kai/1115a Aug. 21, 1945.. c. P. HEINTZE 2,383,385

JET PROPULSION POWER PLANT Filed Nov. 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE NTOR C'arl Paul J-[ezn fge W BY M v ,jwmvm ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented Aug. 21, 1945 n": Kim in mm Application November 10, 1941, Serial No. 418,488

This invention relates to improvementsin air ietwpropulsion power plants for airplanes and similar craft.

An object or the invention is to increase the power efllciency of such power plants to provide 4 means for propelling the aircraft with relatively less horsepower than necessary Jet Propulsion is used.

A further object is to where the usual utilize the air not only in propelling through a reaction nozzle but also for cooling the motor.

A still further, object is to make use of the exhaust gases of the motor to increase the emciency of operation.

Where the conventional propeller is used, the thrust force is anchored directly to the surfaces of the propeller and is physically bound to act vertically through the disk described by the propeller. The propeller disks therefore must be essentially vertical to the line of flight and the air must flowinto the propellers in a line opposite to the direction of flight.

An object of this invention is to provide means whereby the air may be taken into the power plant from any angle without obliteration or reversal of the Jet thrust.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Reference is had to the accompanying 'drawings, in which- Fig. 1 represents view of an airplane Fig. 2- is a view taken on a somewhat embodying my invention:

the line 2-2 of'l 'ig. 1

. of a type of reaction nozzle which may be used with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a view of mechanism used to control the reaction iet;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view in section of my air jet propulsion power plant:

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed view in section of a type of rotor which may be used in my construction.

I wish to point out that the construction shown in the drawings is rather schematic and that various changes and adaptations of the principles 0! my invention may be freely made to adapt it to particular constructions and uses. The illustration and description is therefore in the nature of an example of the use of the principles.

In Fig. 1 the plane it is provided with air intakes II which may be at the top, bottom and sides of the body and along the wing It will be appreciated that these air intakes may be placed at any convenie direction of tpolhicnsincetho which maybe the flow of air'at this point is not controlling on the operation of my power plant.

An air intake chamber I2 is situated within the fuselage of the plane and leads to a passage il in the power plant. The power plant consists of -a motor I! which may be either air-cooled or liquid-cooled. In my drawings 1 have indicated a typical radial air-cooled motor.

Mounted on the shaft it of the motor I! is a centrifugal compressor ll provided with impeller blades ll. As the compressor is rotated, air

. drawn in through the air intakes will enter the passage I4 and follow the path of the arrows ll. Mounted on the shaft It is a hub 10 carrying the pins ii. The inner edge of the back 22 of the plant housing 23 is provided with teeth 24 adapted to engage a beveled gear 2! mounted on one of the pins 2i. Similar teeth ll on the back oi the compressor also engage the gear it Any suitable number of gears 25 may be used.

The pin 2| at its outer edge engages the turbine rotor which has a series of openings Ii therethrough. The openings 3i lead to the passage 32 and are curved in shape (as shown in Fig. 8) having a high point at the opening and exit thereto and a low point ll. These openings in the N- tor so communicate through the passage :2 with j v the chamber 4' and direct the passage of air over 0 u controlled by the cables and u and the opand around the motor ll. As shown in the drawlugs, the compressor is keyed to the shaft I. at 21 and the hub it is free to rotate upon the shaft. It is essential that the gear-ins System used be such that the rotor operates at a considerably lower speed than the compressor, and the most emcient' ratio would be a two-to-one gearing whereby the compressor l1 would operate at twice the speed of the rotor 30.

A reaction nozzle li at the rear of the plane provides for the escape of the air to propel the plane. Any type of valve (such as that shown in Fig. 2 and identified by the numeral 42) may be used to control the reaction nozzle. As shown in the drawings, the valve 42 is mounted in a frame 43 and is provided with a lever mechanism erating handle 41 to control'the position of the valve.

While the essential principle of my invention lies in the use of a centrifugal compressor as a jet I0 generating means in combination with the reacthe me It by the compressor tion nozzle and the directing of the air stream over and through the motor, I also provide means to compensate for the loss of power. It will be understood that as the air is sucked in throulh II it is forced through the openings Si by the turbine rotor Iii. Since the turbine rotor Iii operates at approximately halt the speed of the compressor, power will be returned through the planetary gears through the compressor to enable its speedy operation, and there will be less power lost than in the usual compressor. As the air is forced through the passages Si in the rotor blades and compressed into the chamber 40, it at the same time passes through and around the cylinders of the engine l5, picks up and absorbs the exhaust gases which are emitted from the exhaust ports Ila, and the heat therefrom is used to increase the pressure in the chamber ill and is eventually transformed into mechanical power.

I claim:

A Jet propulsion power plant including a reaction nozzle, a compression chamber communicating with said reaction nozzle, and an inlet opening to said chamber, an internal combustion engine mounted in said chamber. its exhaust ports opening planetary gear wheels radially mounted therein and meshing with the stationary gear wheel and with the gear teeth of the compressor. whereby some or the power transmitted by the engine through the shaft to the compressor is returned to the shaft by the flow from the compressor to and 20 through the turbine rotor.

CARL PAUL HEINTZE. 

